Understanding Workplace Essential Skills: A Student's Perspective Alex Cocco, BPHE Department ...

127 Pages·2012·0.26 MB·English

Understanding Workplace Essential Skills: A Student’s Perspective

Alex Cocco, B.P.H.E.

Department of Graduate and Undergraduate
Studies in Education

Submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Education

Faculty of Education, Brock University
St. Catharines, Ontario

© Alex Cocco 2013
Abstract
An instrumental case study was conducted to explore the perspective of recent graduates
from a Greater Toronto Area community college experience in relation to Workplace
Essential Skills (WES). Five participants who graduated from a business school within
the last 4 years were interviewed twice over a 4-month period to gain a deeper
understanding of this relationship. This qualitative approach used semi-structured
interviews to elicit stories about their experiences, their relationships in school, and the
development of skills that were useful in the workplace. The analysis of data involved the
3-step coding process of open, axial, and selective coding consistent with the approach
used by Neuman (2006). The analysis revealed that the overall experience of attending
college contributed to the learning that took place. The participants gave greater
significance to the life experience in learning WES and the networks associated with
learning than the formal aspects of education. It is also important to acknowledge that the
research identified a significant opportunity for educators’ to positively impact the
learning experience.
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Table of Contents
Page
Abstract ...................................................................................................................... ii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 1
Background of the Problem .............................................................................. 5
Statement of the Problem ................................................................................. 8
Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................... 9
Research Questions .......................................................................................... 9
Theoretical Perspective .................................................................................... 10
Importance of the Study ................................................................................... 12
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................ 15
Workplace Essential Skills Discourse .............................................................. 15
Canadian Community Colleges Context .......................................................... 23
Education Reform ............................................................................................. 29
Illeris’s Three Dimensions of Learning ............................................................ 37
Restating the Purpose of the Study ................................................................... 40
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY .................................................................. 43
Research Questions .......................................................................................... 49
Research Design ............................................................................................... 50
Site and Participant Selection ........................................................................... 50
Recruitment ...................................................................................................... 51
Data Collection ................................................................................................. 51
Data Analysis.................................................................................................... 51
Methodological Assumptions ........................................................................... 52
Limitations ........................................................................................................ 53
Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 54
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS ............................................. 54
Data Collection Strategies ................................................................................ 54
Study Participants ............................................................................................. 54
Method of Analysis Taken ............................................................................... 55
Theme 1: Satisfaction With College................................................................. 56
Theme 2: School, Life Experience, and Skill Development ............................ 60
Theme 3: Preparing for Success in the Workplace .......................................... 68
Theme 4: The Importance of Teaching and Learning ...................................... 78
Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 82

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CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, AND IMPLICATIONS ............... 84
Summary of Study ............................................................................................ 85
Discussion ........................................................................................................ 85
Implications for Practice................................................................................... 104
Implications for Theory .................................................................................... 108
Implications for Future Research ..................................................................... 111
References .................................................................................................................. 113
Appendix A: Interview Questions ............................................................................ 120
Appendix B: Glossary ............................................................................................... 122

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Using the instrumental case study approach, this thesis explores the relationship
between attending college and the development of workplace skills. In 2005, the
Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) called for a Pan-Canadian
workforce agenda to ensure that Canada has the resources to build a highly skilled and
adaptable workforce. Given the cost of pursuing higher education, it would seem
important that, at the completion of community college, graduates would be able to tackle
the challenges of the workplace. Workplace Essential Skills (WES) is a popular term that
speaks to a range of skills that are needed to excel in the workplace and that have
received a fair amount of attention in the knowledge economy (Human Resources and
Skills Development Canada [HRSDC], 2005). This mandate has influenced the college
agenda, which has given rise to both positive and critical viewpoints on the subject.
Colleges in North America were first established in the early 1960s and 1970s
(Skolnik, 2010). In Ontario, colleges were intended to concentrate on technical education
programs. While a combined technical and general education design existed in other
provinces, Ontario’s system has remained largely intact over the years. A strong
vocational education focus has been the hallmark of Ontario colleges that has both helped
them stay relevant but limited the transferability of education to university level
programs. According to Skolnik, the separation of colleges and universities has
implications on social equity. Statistics show that families earning more than $100,000
are more likely to have university-bound children. Over time, colleges have established
general arts and sciences programs in part to fill the equity gap and enable lower-income
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groups to the baccalaureate (Skolnik, 2010, p. 13). This has implications on WES as it
potentially stands to benefit from the general education model.
Canada along with many nations declared its commitment to becoming a
knowledge economy as a response to the changing global and national landscapes
(Government of Canada 2002a, 2002b). In today’s economic climate an emphasis on
knowledge and resources identifies people as the most important asset to a successful
economy. Initially, the decline of manufacturing resulted in changes in the labour market
related to decreasing reliance on goods production which was offset by increasing
demand on various fronts, namely: information, technology, and communications sectors.
This new economy is commonly referred to as the knowledge economy.
With the evolution of the knowledge economy, innovation has increased the scope
of influence of the “knowledge worker.” Such knowledge workers can be described as
individuals who contribute to their work through their talent, skills, ideas, and
innovations. Throughout this evolution, a review of federal policies shows that areas
related to lifelong learning, employment, and training and skills upgrading are part of a
government strategy in establishing a knowledge economy (Gibb & Walker, 2011).
While this strategy and the policies highlight the importance of this topic, it is important
to keep in mind that there are challenges to become a knowledge economy. Gibb and
Walker (2011) describe the changing labour market as a complex and changing landscape
in which exists a contradiction in federal policies that undermine Canada’s ability to
achieve its strategic intent.
Speaking from my own experiences, I chose to go to university believing that a
university degree would lead me directly to a job instead of a college program. I believed
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that after a 4-year degree, finding a good job upon graduation would be simple. I also
believed that what I studied at school and what I would do in my career would not
necessarily be linked, as it seemed that many people I knew had careers in fields unrelated
to their education. However, I learned that the content of my education became
increasingly important as I neared graduation. I began to doubt my choice of going to
university, as it seemed that the college route led more directly to employment. As a new
graduate seeking employment, entering the workforce was daunting. I soon realized that I
knew little about what it would take to be successful at work. Over time, I learned how to
navigate the labour market and find meaningful employment, but it was not without its
challenges.
As I experienced the labour market, it led me to reflect on my personal choices in
education and the kind of work experiences I sought as a student. When I applied to
university, I was more concerned with the prospect of getting accepted than I was with
the program itself or the career path my degree would eventually lead me. My part-time
jobs growing up were simply easy ways of making money to buy a car, pay for school,
and socialize. I was never really coached or consulted on the significance of these
decisions, nor did I have an opportunity to gain a broad perspective of the workplace
from which to base my choices. Time became an issue as the deadline for applying to
university came and ultimately reinforced my belief that any degree would do just fine; I
simply chose the path that seemed simplest. A degree in Physical and Health Education
seemed to be a fit with my passion for sport and so this is the route I took.
It was not until my fourth and final year that the inevitability of leaving school and
doing something else finally pushed me to think about my career options. By this time,
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however, I understood what it was to be a “good” student, and was confident it would
transfer into becoming a competent worker. When I started working it was clear that these
two did not correlate. I was feeling most challenged in areas that had absolutely no basis in
school, such as working in teams, being innovative, and managing difficult relationships.
For me to be successful at work required a different mindset than that of a student.
As I overcame these challenges, I felt responsible to help others avoid some of the
stumbling blocks I faced in making career and educational choices. It was not a
coincidence that I spent time working in the career services sector and teaching at the
postsecondary level. While these experiences have given me the opportunity to help
others, I cannot help but wonder how many others have and will continue to struggle to
bring their educational and career aspirations into alignment. Is it the educational system
itself that creates this separation of goals, or do students hold an unrealistic set of
expectations about the postsecondary system? I had many questions and it was this
personal journey that inspired me to pursue a master’s degree in education. It has also
motivated me to conduct this study to understand the connection between workplace
skills and education. It is this objective of understanding students’ needs and desires as
they relate to employment and the relationship to education that drives me to research the
connection between WES and education.
After leaving university, I was surprised to see how few of my friends and
acquaintances worked in fields related to their choice of study. I began to wonder why this
was happening and found myself questioning the value of a then $20,000 fee for education
when it did not seem to impact employment options or choices. This disconnect seemed to
validate my assumptions that people went to school and believed a job was waiting for
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them when they graduated. It was only after going back to school as a mature student and
having experienced teaching at a college that I began to evolve my thinking and
understanding of what circumstances could potentially create this impression. It is with this
in mind that I pursue a deeper understanding of the connection between school and work.
The workplace, as I have come to understand it, is complex and requires a range
of skills that go beyond the scope of the job. Working in teams and embracing different
personalities and work styles and dealing with conflict are just a few such skills that
come to mind in trying to capture some of this complexity. Work is a necessary
component of life; what you do in your job and how you feel about what you do has an
incredible impact on your life. Choosing and excelling in a career is not just about
knowledge and skills. Success in the workplace is multifaceted and can mean many
things to different people. The work done by the ACCC (2003) demonstrates that
employers typically look for certain skills as part of the requisite qualifications to any
job. Understanding what these skills are and how they are developed is helpful in
learning how to create a productive working society (ACCC, 2003). By better
understanding the relationship between college and work from the perspective of
students, there is an opportunity to more fully contextualize teaching and the learning
environment to improve social and economic well-being. By keeping in mind that it is the
students’ interest that motivates this research, educators who better understand what is
important to students are better able to deliver on those expectations.
Background of the Problem
It can be argued that the primary purpose of community college is to develop
individuals and facilitate their active membership in society. A part of this membership